I love the way a newly epoxy rod looks. Unfortunately, they loose their luster like a pair of running shoes. Solution: Own more running shoes (rods) and they'll all look good longer!
The inscriptions turned out well on this rod. I have not sought the approval to share this customer's name; therefore we won't be showing that part of the inscription.
The thread looks almost black in this image, even though it is the same as olive green color as the St. Croix rod blank. It will look good in the morning sun!
In the very first rod building post, we showed a black rubber Fuji butt cap like this. We ended up not using it for this rod, but we're using it for another similar rod. This image shows the few steps to acquire this cap. First, we put it on the lathe. The inside diameter on the smallest Fuji rubber butt cap is .75". While the large cap is turning, cut the end off with a razor, and we have our new cap. The way I was taught this method, the texture was sanded off the rubber butt cap when the cork was shapped. This causes a lot of heat on the rubber, breaks down the adhesive bond, and often causes the cap to fall off during sanding or during fishing. Solution: Sand and shape the cap on the lathe before cutting with the razor (cap on the far right). To center it on the rod butt, use 1/4" masking take to build a shim. The rest is easy.
We dig the St. Croix Rods because they are what G. Loomis was 15 years ago. 1) They are the highest rated manufacturer of spinning, casting, and fly rod blanks, 2) they're customer service and warranty programs are competitive, 3) and their top of the line graphite blanks are fairly priced. I'm most impressed with their light weight and overall performance.
G. Loomis blanks are harder to get today, but there are still a good number of them floating around. Just don't expect to get any from the G. Loomis company. Let me clarify that, because you can get great rod blanks from "Gary" Loomis. North Fork Composites is Gary's new venture and he has an interesting marketing plan for rod builders and rod customers. Visit his web site for details.
